Takedown firearm



April 14, 1942- c. G. swEBlLlus 2,279,931

TAKE-DOWN FIRE'ARM Filed Dec. l, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l I L .\J

.April 14, 1942 c. G. swEBlLlus 2,279,931

TAKE-DOWN FIREARM Filed Dec. l, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 14, 1942 @ist I TAKEDOWN FIREARM Application December 1, 1938, Serial No. 243,378

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in rearms and more particularly to take-down iirearms, i. e., firearms comprising separable buttunits and barrel-units whereby the firearms may be conveniently disassembled to facilitate transportation.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a take-down firearm having a superior construction and arrangement of parts whereby a butt-unit and barrel-unit thereof may be readily assembled and disassembled.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a take-down firearm having superior means whereby the separable units thereof may be firmly interlocked in assembled relationship and maintained in such relationship despite violent shocks incident to the discharge of the firearm and rough usage.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art and which are not claimed in any separate application.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a broken View in side-elevation of a take-down firearm embodying the present invention and showing a portion of the forestock broken away and in vertical central-longitudinal section;

Fig. 2 is a broken detail sectional-view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, but on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a transverse-sectionnal view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a View corresponding to Fig. 3 but showing the barrel-unit turned with respect to the butt-unit for the purpose of unlocking the two said units from each other preparatory to their axial separation;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the couplingmember Viewed mainly from the rear;

Fig. 6 is a view in side-elevation of the rear portion of the barrel-unit; and

Fig. '7 is a broken-view in side-elevation of the portion of the butt-unit.

The particular take-down firearm herein shown for the illustration of the present invention is of the so-called automatic or selfloading type and includes a butt-unit generally designated by the reference character Il), and a barrel-unit generally designated by the reference character II.

In the main, the butt-unit Ii) comprises a buttstock I2 rigidly attached at its forward end to a receiver I3 which latter is provided in its interior with a mechanism-receiving chamber I4 communicating with the right side-face of the receiver by means of an ejection-opening I5 as is indicated in Figs. 1 and '7. Depending from the under side of the receiver I3 of the butt-unit I0 is a trigger-guard I 6 into which projects a trigger I'I by means of which the firearm may be discharged in the usual manner.

The barrel-unit II comprises in the main, a barrel I8, a forestock I9, a tubular-magazine 20, and a cylindrically-contoured barrel-extension 2l rigidly united with the rear-end of the barrel I8 so as to form a part thereof and projecting rearwardly therefrom through a barrelreceiving opening Illa in the front of the receiver I3 and into the upper-portion of the mechamsm-receiving chamber III in the latter, with freedom for turning movement therein and also for axial reciprocation therein in the general manner of automatic or self-loading firearms.

The tubular-magazine 20 is located beneath the barrel I8 and throughout the major portion of the its length it is enclosed by the forestock I9. Adjacent its rear-end the tubularmagazine 2U is formed with a broad annular collar or flange 22 extending outwardly therefrom and having its rear-face constituting a stopshoulder or stop-abutment 23 as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. Immediately to the rear of the annular flange 22 and the stop-shoulder 23, the tubular-magazine 2B is formed with a cylindrical portion 24 of lesser diameter than the said flange or collar 22, and normally located in a cylindrically-contoured magazine-receiving passage 25 in a coupling-member 2E, with capacity for both turning and reciprocating movement therein.

Rearwardly of the cylindrical portion 24 just above referred to, the tubular-magazine 20 is provided with a terminal portion 21 formed upon its periphery at diametrically-opposite points with sets of interrupted threads 28--28 intertting with two similar sets of interrupted threads 29-29 formed in a magazine-receiving socket 3Q forming a feature of the lower frontportion of the receiver I3 and opening therethrough into the lower-portion of the mechamism-receiving chamber I4 in the said receiver. in a manner common in tubular-magazine repeating firearms.

Directly above and parallel with the magazinereceiving passage 25, the coupling-member 26 is formed with a barrel-receiving passage 3| through which the rear portion of the barrel I8 extends. Normally the front edge of the barrel extension 2l abuts against the rear-face of the coupling-member 26 around the barrel-receiving passage 3| therein as is specially well indicated in Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings.

In the particular take-down rearm herein chosen for illustration the barrel I8 is free to reciprocate through the barrel-receiving passage 3I in the coupling-member 26 though the said coupling-member 23 is held against turningmovement relative to the said barrel in a manner as will hereinafter appear.

About midway of its height the right rear portion of the coupling-member 26 is provided with an L-shaped coupling-lug 32 formed integrally with the said coupling-member and'comprising a rearwardly-extendingY arm 33 and an inwardly-extending arm 34, the front face of which latter constitutes a forwardly-facing couplingabutment 34a. The inwardly-projecting arm 34 of the coupling-lug 32 is adapted to be entered into and swung out of a vertical coupling-groove 35 (Fig. '7) formed in the right side-wall of the receiver I3 immediately adjacent the forward end thereof and having its front-wall constituting a rearwardly-facing coupling-abutment 35a. When the inwardly-projecting arm 34 of the coupling-lug 32' is located in the coupling-groove 35, the major portion of the rearwardly-extending arm 33 of the said coupling-lug is accommodated in a vertical clearance cut 3B which at its front intersects the forward face of the receiver I3 and which at its rear intersects the couplinggroove 35.

When the butt-unit I and the barrel-unit II are in their normal assembled relationships as indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the coupling-lug 32 is accommodated in the coupling-groove 35 and the clearance cut 3.6 in the receiver I3 so that the said butt-unit and barrel-unit are firmly interlocked against longitudinal separation. To prevent the barrel-unit and hence the couplingmember 26. forming part thereof, from swinging about the center of the barrel I8 as an axis to thus permit the withdrawal of the coupling-lug 32 from the coupling-groove 35, the tubularmagazine 2.0 is normally projected through the magazine-receiving passage in the said coupling-member 26 and `into the magazine-receiving socket 33 in the receiver I3 in which the said tubular-magazine is releasably held by the inter-engagement of the interrupted threads 28-28 and 29-23. To guard against the inadvertent rotation of the tubular-magazine 23 in a direction required to disengage its interrupted threads 28--28 from the interrupted threads 2S-29 of the receiver I3, a reciprocating magazine-locking pin 3'I is mounted inthe extreme forward portion of the tubular-maga- Zine 2l), as is indicated in Fig. 1, so as to have one of its ends project linto engagement with the barr-el I3 in a manner well known in the rearm art.

When itis desired to separate the butt-unit I0 and the barrel-unit II from each other for the purpose of packing or transportation, the magazine-locking pin 31 in the forward end of the tubular-magazine 20 is shifted into the position in which it is indicated by the dotted lines A in Fig. 1, to thereby release the tubular-magazine 20 for being turned. The now displaced magazine-locking pin 3'I may be employed to turn the tubular-magazine 20 through an arc of movement substantially equal to 90 to thereby bring the two sets of interrupted threads 28-28 of the, said tubular-magazine into registration with the gaps between the two sets of interrupted threads 29-29 in the magazine-receiving socket 30 of the receiver I3. The tubular-magazine 20 may now be moved axially forwardly with respect to the barrel I8 and the remainder of the firearm, until its extreme rear end is brought to a position forwardly of the front edge or face of the receiver I3, whereupon the entire barrelunit may be swung about the barrel I8 as a center into the position in which it is indicated in The described turning movement of the barrelunit II relative to the butt-unit I0 will serve to withdraw the inwardly-extending arm 34 of the L-shaped coupling-lug 32 completely out of the coupling-groove 35 in the side-wall of the receiver I3 and thereby permit the butt-unit Ill and barrel-unit II to be axially separated from each other by the complete withdrawal of the barrel extension ZI from the mechanism-receiving chamber I4 in the receiver I3. The separated units will now appear as they are represented in Figs. 6 and '7 respectively in which iigures however only the forward portion of the buttu-nit I Il and rear portion of the barrel-unit II are shown.

In reassembling the buttstock-unit I!! and the barrel-unit II, the procedure and sequence of steps above recited, is reversed.

From the foregoing considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that a take-down firearm is provided which is simple and economical to manufacture but which possesses in its take-down feature the required ruggedness to withstand repeated shocks to which all parts of a iirearm are subjected and which is conveniently operable.

The invention may be carried out in other specic ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present ernbodiments are, therefore, to b-e considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A take-down firearm including in combination: a butt-unit comprising a buttstock and a receiver provided with a barrel-receiving opening; a barrel-unit comprising a forestock and a barrel having a portion extendable into the barrel-receiving opening in the vreceiver of the said butt-unit; one of the said unit being provided with a coupling-recess opening transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fire arm and the other of said units being provided with an L-shaped coupling-lug having a portion extending transversely thereof and enterable into the coupling-recess in the complemental unit to couple the two said units together against axial separation; both of the said units being turnable with respect to each other about the longitudinal axis of the barrel of the barrel-unit as a center, to respectively eifect the engagement of the said coupling-recess and coupling-lug and normally restrain the said units against axial separation and to cause disengagement of the said coupling-means to permit the axial separation of the said units; and releasable-means normally holding the said butt-unit and the said barrel-unit against relative turning movement with respect to each other.

2. A take-down rearm including in combination: a butt-unit comprising a buttstock and a receiver provided with a barrel-receiving opening and with a laterally-opening coupling-recess; a barrel-unit comprising a forestock and a barrel having a portion extendable into the barrel-receiving opening in the receiver of the said butt-unit, the said barrel-unit being provided with an L-shaped coupling-lug having a laterally-extending portion enterable into the laterally-opening coupling-recess in the receiver oi the said butt-unit to couple the two said units together against axial separation; the said buttunit and the said barrel-unit being turnable with respect to each other about the longitudinal axis of the barrel of the said barrel-unit a center, in opopsite directionsVV to respectively cause the engagement of the said coupling-recess and L- shaped coupling-lug and normally restrain the said units against axial separation to cause disengagement of the said coupling-means to permit the axial separation of the said units; and releasable-means normally holding the said butt-unit and the said barrel-unit against relative turning movement with respect to each i other.

3. A take-down firearm including in combination: a butt-unit comprising a buttstock and a receiver provided with a barrel-receiving and a magazine-receiving socket; and a barrel-unit comprising a barrel, a forestock, and a tubularmagazine extending in substantial parallelism with the said barrel and movable axially with respect thereto for the entry into and the withdrawal of its rear-portion from the magazinereceiving socket in the receiver of the said barrel-unit; one of the said units being provided with a coupling-recess opening transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the iirearm and the other of said units being provided with an L-shaped hook-like coupling-lug having a portion extending transversely thereof and enterable into the coupling-recess in the complemental unit to couple the two said units together against axial separation; the said units being turnable with respect to each other about the longitudinal axis of the barrel of the barrel-unit as a center, in opposite directions to respectively cause the engagement of the said transversely opening coupling-recess pling-lug and normally restrain the said units against axial separation and to cause disengagement of the said coupling-means to permit the axial separation of the said units; the rear-portion of the axially-movable tubular-magazine of the said barrel-unit being retirable from and enterable into the magazine-receiving socket in the receiver of the said butt-unit to respectively unlock and lock the two said units for and against relative turning movement.

4. A take-down firearm including in combination: a butt-unit comprising a buttstock and a receiver provided with a barrel-receiving opening, a magazine-receiving socket, and a laterally-opening coupling-recess; and a barrel-unit comprising a barrel having a portion extendable into the barrel-receiving opening in the receiver of the said butt-unit, a forestock, a couplingmember provided with a hook-like L-shaped and hook-like coucoupling-lug having a laterally-extending portion thereof enterable into the laterally-opening coupling-recess in the receiver of the said buttunit to couple the two said units together against axial separation, and a tubular-magazine extending in substantial parallelism with the said barrel and movable axially with respect thereto for the entering into and the withdrawal of its rear-portion from the magazine-receiving socket in the receiver of the said barrel-unit; the said butt-unit and the said barrel-unit being turnable with respect to each other about the longitudinal axis of the barrel of the said barrel-unit as a center to respectively cause the I -shaped coupling-lug of the coupling-member of the said barrel-unit to be entered into the laterally-opening coupling-recess in the receiver oi the'said butt-unit to normally restrain the said units against axial separation, and to be retired to permit the axial separation of the said units when relative rotational movement is effected respectively in opposite directions between them; the rear-portion of the axially-movable tubularrnagazine of the said barrel-unit being retirable from and enterable into the magazine-receiving socket in the receiver of the said butt-unit to respectively unlock and lock the two said units for and against relative turning movement.

5. A take-down rearm of the reciprocatingbarrel type, including in combination: a buttunit comprising a buttstock and a receiver provided with a forwardly-opening barrel-receiving passage and a forwardly-opening magazinereceiving socket; and a barrel-unit comprising a forestock, a barrel axially movable with respect to the said forestock and the receiver of the said butt-unit and having a rear-portion extending into the barrel-receiving opening of the said receiver and reciprocating therein with freedom for axial withdrawal therefrom and the said barrel being free of threaded connection with the said receiver, and a tubular magazine extending in substantial parallelism with the said barrel and movable axially with respect thereto to permit the rear-portion of the said tubular magaaine to be entered into and withdrawn from the magazine-receiving socket in the receiver of the said butt-unit, and means holding the said barrel and forestock and tubular magazine assembled together; one of the said units being provided exteriorly separate from the said barrel with a coupling-recess opening laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the firearmstructure and the other of said units being provided exteriorly separate from the said barrel with a coupling-projection also extending laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the firearm-structure and entering the couplingrecess in the other unit to couple the two said units together against axial separation; the two said units being turnable with respect to each other about the longitudinal axis of the barrel of the said barrel-unit as a center to enter the coupling-projection of one of the said units into the coupling-recess of the complemental unit and to withdraw the said coupling-projection from the said coupling-recess.

CARL G. SWEBTLIUS. 

